Better Packages expands presence in city
ANSONIA — You can say Better Packages is on a roll these days.
The 101- year- old company that improved upon an invention by Thomas Edison with its world- known water- activated tape dispensers has had an exceptional year.
Not only has the company, at 4 Hershey Drive, doubled its workforce, but it recently moved its Tampa, Fla., facility to Ansonia, doubled its workspace by expanding its facility an additional 19,000 square feet, and created a national training center that showcases its entire product line for prospective customers, and serves as a training ground for sales and distribution partners.
To cap it off, the company’s revenues have increased more than 30 percent over last year, according to CEO Phil White.
To honor the company’s many recent successes, Mayor David Cassetti recently presented White with a proclamation and a key to the city.
“It’s been a very busy and gratifying time to be in business in Ansonia,” White said. “We are fortunate to have been acquired by our parent company, IPG, that provides us with the resources we need to grow and allows us to expand our base here in Ansonia. We are honored to be able to contribute to the strength of the local economy. We always appreciate the support we get from Ansonia’s leaders … starting with the mayor.”
Cassetti lauded White and Better Packages for their commitment to the Valley.
“You have continued to make Ansonia a better place, and we’re so proud you made your home in Ansonia,” Cassetti said.
White said with the expanded operation, the company is in the process of launching yet another exciting product, due out the end of this year or early 2019: It’s a machine that cranks out air- filled bubble pillows that cushion products in their cartons and boxes during the shipping process.
Better Packages was founded in 1917 by brothers Alfred and Theodore Kruger in Brooklyn, N. Y. The duo developed and marketed equipment to make more efficient use of Edison’s then- 5- year- old invention of water- activated tape. Edison invented the tape in 1912, prompted by the advent of the cardboard box, and was looking for a better solution than twine to keep the boxes closed.
To be closer to a bustling industry along the Bridge- port- to- Waterbury manufacturing corridor, Better Packages moved to Canal Street in Shelton in 1924. The company moved to its location in Ansonia in 2014.
Better Packages’ wateractivated tape dispenser’s worldwide market share exceeds 75 percent, and its client list has grown to include some of the world’s most prominent companies that ship directly to consumers — including Amazon, QVC, L. L. Bean, Neiman Marcus, JCPenney and Walmart.
The company sells and services its products in more than 70 countries.
White, who has led the company for more than 20 years, marked Better Packages’ 100th year in business in 2017 with a huge anniversary bash, and had said the dedicated employees serve as the company’s backbone, leading to its longevity.
Better Packages has racked up an impressive list of stats over the last century, including manufacturing more than 20 million pounds of plastic, 58 million pounds of steel and 200 million nuts, screws and fasteners to make its dispensers. More than 200 million dispensers have sealed15 billion packages, securely sealing them with more than 100 million miles of tape, White has said.
“The expansion has really helped us grow the business, and it’s been terrific,” White said. “We now have 50 percent more space to accommodate our product growth, and are excited to be building another product, the easy air pillow machine, right here in Ansonia.”